ES GLOBAL 2023

Amanda Johnson

Multi Award-winning Business Mentor | Virtual Assistant Trainer

Amanda Johnson is a multi award-winning Business Mentor and Virtual Assistant Trainer, helping aspiring VAs to make that leap from employed to self-employed and find their first client; then supporting experienced VAs to grow and scale online with her genuine, no-nonsense and straight-talking advice and support.

At the centre of her work are ethical, easy to implement strategies and practical effective trainings. With 30+ years professional administrator experience, she brings a rich knowledge from the military, government organisations, corporate, agencies and SMEs to the VA industry.

Amanda runs VACT Limited, the UK and Europe’s leading Virtual Assistant Training Company and has helped thousands of Virtual Assistants across the world, using her 10 years specific VA experience both as the VA doing the work and as a VA Mentor.

Amanda’s mission is to help you to become the “Go-To” Virtual Assistant, supporting you with focus, direction and an easy plan to follow and take action in order that you can create the VA Business you crave with freedom and flexibility.

How Virtual Assistants Can Survive a Recession and Thrive

With over a third of the world officially in a recession, Virtual Assistants can thrive if they recession-proof their business and help their clients recession-proof theirs!

In this session, Amanda will share actionable tips that help Virtual Assistants recession-proof their day-to-day operations but also share ideas on how to market authentically and package their support/services in such a way that businesses want to buy.

Learning Outcomes:

• Virtual Assistants: how they can help create a sustainable workforce and why you need to be sharing this with your clients and potential clients.
• 5 strategies that Virtual Assistants can implement to recession-proof their own business.
• 10 marketing ideas that Virtual Assistants can use to build their business during a recession.

Marlize Schneider

Marlize Schneider is the Former Office Manager & Former Executive Assistant to Rev Mpho Tutu van Furth at The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, which was also the office of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. In addition to her duties as an executive assistant, Marlize was active in many tasks assisting the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, the wonderful and loving Mrs Tutu and their family.

Having held positions with various high-profile individuals, Marlize is able to tailor her skills to meet their needs and criteria. With the ability to exercise sound judgment, use discretion and manage sensitive and confidential information, she maintains a calm and professional demeanour in any situation and is very comfortable with rolling up her sleeves and getting things done. Marlize is at ease dealing with and working for high-profile people.

She has almost 20 years of experience in the administration field, with business management, project management and corporate compliance experience. Marlize has a track record of strong performance in high-volume, high-pressure environments and extensive experience with travelling and management of staff. Currently, she is Executive Assistant to Alistair Maiden, the Founder and CEO of SYKE Legal Engineering.

KEYNOTE: Marlize Schneider interviewed by Lucy Brazier OBE

What was it like to run the office of one of the most famous men in the world?

In this interview with Lucy Brazier, Marlize Schneider explains how working for the late Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu was a huge influence on her life.

She’ll talk about dealing with office politics in an organization headed by a Nobel Peace Prize-winner and chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as well as the strict timetable that operated in the office and working closely with the wonderful and loving Mrs Tutu and their family.

And what happens once you leave such a role?  Marlize will talk about how you move on from working with a high-profile person and what she’s doing now.

Rachael Bonetti

Rachael Bonetti is a former career Executive Assistant who supported a high-profile billionaire, change-makers and thought leaders in several countries for almost 30 years. Today she’s a passionate advocate for elevating the administration community and creates and delivers the development opportunities she wished existed as she moved through her career.

Rachael works with Assistants and organisations worldwide as a consultant, corporate trainer and international speaker. She is also a Forbes Australia contributor, the “What It Means To Be Well” podcast host and a certified wellbeing practitioner. She loves helping Assistants maintain high performance without burning out, and supporting organisations to create the conditions that genuinely support employees to thrive.

Rachael is based in Bunurong and Boon Wurrong Country on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia. In her free time, she loves to travel, read, stand-up paddle board and meditate. Rachaelis currently writing her first book, due for release in late 2023.

Articulating Your Worth: A Career Supercharger

Rachael Bonetti will share why articulating your worth is a challenge for many administration professionals and how it can limit career progression, access to opportunities and earning potential.

You’ll hear how to shift your thinking to understand how your work directly supports the success of others and develop a mindset around this that supports self-belief.

You’ll get the language and tips to help you articulate your worth in a confident, authentic and personal way that commands the respect, recognition and reward that you deserve.

This session will have you standing out for all the right reasons, as talent, not a resource.

Learning Outcomes:

• Why articulating your worth is a skill all administration professionals need to master
• How it creates impact and supports progression
• Practical ways to begin to elevate the way you talk about what you do
• Strategies and tips to overcome challenges with this

Reto Leder

With a professional life of 38 years dedicated to customer service on cruise ships, hotels, restaurants, airline catering and hospitality education around the world, Reto Leder is the consummate host.

For the last 10 years, he has re-shaped the Convention Centre Trafo Baden into a forerunner in innovation in the corporate event industry in Switzerland. Especially notable is a uniquely transparent and easy-to-calculate pricing system for meetings and conventions of all sizes; A pricing concept which has since been adopted by seminar hotels and convention centres across Switzerland.

Trafo Baden was also the first venue in Switzerland to have its own, photorealistic digital twin of all event spaces, allowing customers to preview a specific event set up in a 3D tour, long before visiting the Centre for the first time.

Most recently, his hiring of a 15 Gault Millau points Master Chef has elevated Trafo’s (affordable) Catering quality to the same level as some of the top restaurants in the country, a fact which is frequently commented on by customers and their guests alike.

Together with his team, “going the extra mile” for a customer is not a sales punchline, but rather a philosophy of work and even a lifestyle.

Interview: A Fascination with Excellence and Customer Service

Reto Leder is CEO of Trafo Baden, a Swiss convention centre which lies just outside of Zurich. At the heart of his career in hospitality is an obsession with excellence and in particular with exceptional customer service.

In this interview with Lucy Brazier, he talks about his career, the trends he is seeing in the events industry post-COVID and why putting customer service at the heart of your event will never go out of fashion.

Michael Levin

Michael Levin is the President and CEO of Custom Solutions.  He has launched and built numerous companies into multi-million-dollar entities in a wide variety of industries.

He is a three-time #1 International Best-Selling author.   His books include his #1 inspirational best-seller  “Let Them See You Sweat”  along with “The Art of Collaborative Selling”. He is also co-author of Jack Canfield’s, “The Road to Success”.

Michael is also a former 50 Senior Executive for Pepsi-Cola, running gold-standard divisions in San Francisco, Oakland and Reno.

He has delivered his keynotes and workshops on leadership, change, sales, and communication skills around the world for companies and conferences of all sizes.  Michael has been on TV and radio shows around the USA sharing his knowledge. He has appeared on Home Shopping Network, featured in Entrepreneur Magazine and had his products featured in Oprah Magazine.

Creating an Entrepreneurial Workplace®

Michael’s talk on “Creating an Entrepreneurial Workplace®” is about his powerful philosophy that creates ownership and empowerment throughout an organization.  Your people will not only embrace change they will actually lead and drive that change.

You will learn real tools to create that environment as well as how to overcome roadblocks and challenges, and Michael’s philosophy of how to create sustainable change instead of “Flavor of the Month”.

You will also learn key communication tools including Michael’s 4-step process for resolving conflict, questions and concerns in a collaborative manner.

Attendees will come to understand the paradigm shift required, from leaders to front-line staff, to create this environment. This philosophy has made Michael’s companies, his client’s companies, and the divisions he ran for Pepsi Cola incredibly profitable by creating a highly motivated, inspired and  entrepreneurial team.

Learning Outcomes:

• You will learn how to create ownership and empowerment throughout the organization.  This will be even more valuable during these times, as leaders are trying to hold their team accountable and responsible while working from home.
• We will discuss the challenges companies face with moving from a more traditional autocratic environment to one of entrepreneurism. We will discuss the behavioral shifts necessary from both senior leaders and the front line and how to achieve those shifts.
• We’ll discuss critical communication skills in creating this environment including Michael’s 4-step methodology for resolving conflict that leads to collaborative and mutually beneficial solutions.

Bonnie Low-Kramen

TEDx Speaker | Author Be the Ultimate Assistant, Staff Matters

Bonnie Low-Kramen is recognized as one of the world’s most respected thought leaders on workplace issues. Her work has taken her to 13 countries She worked as the Personal Assistant to Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis for 25 years until 2011.

Bonnie’s 2022 TEDx talk is called “The Real Reasons People Quit. The Be the Ultimate Assistant workshop (co-taught with Vickie Sokol Evans) is considered a must-attend for top assistants and was featured in Forbes.

Bonnie is the bestselling author of Be the Ultimate Assistant and Staff Matters, People-Focused Solutions for the Ultimate New Workplace. She is a writer for Executive Support Magazine and Harvard Business Review. Her passion is to affect positive change in the global workplace by paving the way towards healthy, respectful, and productive partnerships between the staff.

Clients include the Wharton School, Starbucks, Amazon, and the British Parliament. A committed advocate for women’s issues, Bonnie is at the center of the movements to close the wage gap and to end workplace bullying.

She is a sought-after keynote speaker and trainer at conferences and corporations around the world. Bonnie is based in Florida, USA and seeks to build better workplaces for her children and yours.

Staff Matters: Unfiltered

This session is based on Bonnie’s new book, Staff Matters.

Staff are referred to as the backbone of the company, the right arms, the face of the culture, the eyes, the ears, the heart, the lifeblood, the glue, and the soul. If this is true, why are people treated so badly and most importantly, how can we fix what’s broken?

This question is at the heart of the matter for Bonnie, and anyone who knows her trusts that she will talk about how things really are – unfiltered.

It’s time to shine a light on the issues slowing assistants and all staff down and stopping them dead in their tracks. These are the issues of dysfunctional leadership, unfair compensation, workplace bullying, sexual harassment, and discrimination and too many are suffering in silence.

Bonnie holds nothing back as she pulls back the curtain on what is really going on because there is too much at stake not to.

Learning Outcomes:

• Learn how collaboration with leaders, HR, and recruiters is the key to fixing what’s broken
• Understand how to move towards building a culture of respect and stability
• Learn how to set your team up for success in the hybrid and remote workplace

Candice Burningham

Candice Burningham is a true admin advocate. She started her 20-year admin career as an office junior in Brisbane, Australia. She worked her way up to being a C-Suite Executive Assistant to some of the biggest and brightest minds globally and has now gone on to be an ambassador for the admin industry via her community group,  Admin Avenues.

In 2021, Candice returned to Australia. She saw a gap in the market for a niche job board and community support network dedicated to the administrative industry. This led her to create Admin Avenues – Australia’s first premiere employment marketplace and community website for admin professionals.

In her personal life, Candice is a long-time supporter of UNHCR Australia (The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and Ronald McDonald House. She is an LGBTQIA+ straight ally and supports the Pride Foundation Australia. Candice splits her time between Australia and the UK.

Creating An Admin Department

Have you ever noticed that most businesses don’t have an Administration department?

They have a marketing department, a sales department, HR, the list goes on. Admins are often just a dotted line in an org chart, attached to the department heads, but not seen as a role in that department. They often don’t receive promotions or bonuses like everyone else in that department. This is one of the many reasons admins need their own department in companies. Their own budgets for training, department events, salary bands and bonus structures. In this session, I will be talking through how admin departments can be established and the value this will bring to businesses.

Learning Outcomes:

• The importance of an administration department in an organisation should not be underestimated. Working with the administrative department is like dealing with an entire corporation at one time. They are the information superhighway of any business. They directly interface within each department, contextualise administrative needs and bring that information to the larger company for discussion and action.
• Admins need the tools and budget they require to do their jobs efficiently. They may be met with resistance in suggesting new ways to change the way they do things (e.g., move to a project management tool like Asana instead of using manual spreadsheets). Companies need to be open, and admins need to be creative in the way new tools and systems are introduced to the business.
• Admin departments need to ensure performance metricsare introduced using helpful documents like the Global Skills Matrix, which provides a framework for administrative professionals and makes it possible to identify levels of work for a given role and career progression opportunities.

Lily Shippen

Lily founded Lily Shippen in 2016 with the entrepreneurial spirit of doing things differently. Having gained valuable experience working in London for one of the world’s largest recruitment agencies, Lily spotted an opportunity to disrupt the talent acquisition and recruitment market by creating a boutique executive and business support agency. Headquartered in Manchester,  the agency redefined the recruitment experience across the United Kingdom for both clients and candidates.

After carving out a reputation as a go-to specialist recruitment agency for over six years, in 2022 Lily bought in Kathryn Gunner to launch the human resources division, enabling the agency to connect even more exceptional businesses with exceptional people.

Career Progression

Career Progression – What is it? How should I measure it and how do I go about it?

Join this session with Lily Shippen as she looks at the short and long-term process of career advancement, sharing knowledge and experience from the thousands of employees and employers that Lily has worked with during her career to date.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand what career progression is.
• Understand how to measure and assess what progress you want.
• Guidance on how to approach your executive or employer about the career progression you aspire to.
• Gain clarity on what you can do personally for your own career progression.

Marie Herman

International Trainer | Author | Owner, MRH Enterprises LLC

When it comes to career and professional development, Marie Herman, CAP, OM, ACS, MOSM knows how to take you from where you are, to where you want to be.  As the owner of MRH Enterprises LLC, Marie helps office professionals to advance their careers through certification and education.

Prior to launching her incredibly successful training business, Marie supported the Chief Technology Officer of the Fermi National Accelerator Lab and Chairman Emeritus of ServiceMaster.  Marie, an author, mentor and subject matter expert, holds multiple certifications and can help you become better trained as well.

Her articles in Executive Support magazine have proven perennially popular. She has more than two decades of experience as an administrative professional and efficiency consultant.  She is a regular contributor to Executive Support Magazine and also facilitates Organizational Management cohorts for IAAP.

Marie teaches webinars and seminars on various technology and professional development topics and also provides highly respected online certification study groups for the Microsoft Office Specialist and Certified Administrative Professional exams.

Your Goals Are Gold For Your Career

The process of setting goals for administrative professionals seems pretty challenging, doesn’t it? When we do our jobs flawlessly, no one sees what we do. Many times our days are filled with endless short tasks which seem impossible to capture in a simple goal. How do we make “keep paper in the copy machine” into an impressive goal for our colleagues?

During this 90-minute masterclass, Marie will be discussing how to decide what goals you really want to set. We’ll also look at how to phrase your goals for maximum impact and identify what systems and aids you can establish to ensure that you make progress and ultimately achieve your goals. We’ll identify some of the reasons why evaluation and assessment often gets thrown by the wayside with the stress of busy days.

Learn how you can set goals that will motivate you and help you stay laser focused throughout the year and let those goals lead you to the career you have always dreamed of.

Learning Outcomes:

Attendees will learn:

• How to create goals with maximum impact to craft your career as you wish
• Why you need to include strategies and tactics in your planning in order to ensure the success of your goals
• Why evaluation and assessment are key steps in the goal achievement process

Thom Dennis

Thom Dennis is the CEO of Serenity in Leadership Ltd, the premier culture transformation, change and leadership specialists.

He is an international speaker, voiceover actor and Amazon #1 published author. Thom has been featured on both BBC TV News and radio, and as a thought leader in over 320 articles in industry-leading publications in just the last two years alone.

With over 30 years’ experience as an executive coach, facilitator, change maker and leadership developer, and having served 17 years as an officer in the Royal Marines, Thom has been hired by global banking, pharmaceutical, energy and engineering brands such as Citigroup, Royal Bank of Scotland, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Conoco Phillips, Shell, BP, Centrica and Transocean to name just a few.

How to Handle a Difficult Executive

What are the reasons that make a person difficult? There are many and none of them has to do with you!

You haven’t caused this difficult behaviour but you may be on the receiving end of this person’s discomfort or pain which, if they don’t have sufficient self-awareness, will spread out around them – a projection of dis-ease which may affect you.

When people are being nasty and awkward it is very easy to be drawn into responding in, or at least feeling, the same way rather than approaching the person with interest, curiosity and empathy. This may seem counter-intuitive but most dysfunctional behaviour is rooted in fear and pain.

How you respond is very much dependent on what role you are in; as an Assistant, you are generally trying to be as helpful as possible and not to ‘rock the boat’, so this calls for a mindset that will accept difficult behaviour without taking it personally. But there are limits and resilience, patience, a sense of humour and also a high level of professionalism all come together to empower you in the face of someone and their behaviour which you cannot control.

Learning Outcomes:

• Greater understanding of the roots of dysfunctional behaviour
• Insights into boundary setting
• A higher level of self-awareness so that it’s easier not to take unpleasant actions personally
• Understanding of the concept of match & lead
• Strategies to protect mental health
• Greater understanding of the dynamics of power